ABSTRACT
The relationship between pupils’ family background characteristics and schooling outcomes is well established. However, researchers disagree about the magnitude of the relationship, and therefore debate the role that measures of family background should play in studies of schooling. Sociologists have devoted considerable effort to constructing measures of socioeconomic status (SES), but the measures have not been used consistently in the study of schooling (Mueller and Parcel, 1981). Researchers sometimes avoid using measures of SES because of social and political issues concerning the collection of information on pupils’ family backgrounds, but often they avoid using them because they are unclear about their role in analysis. In some applications SES may have a limited role if measures of pupil ability or pretests of academic achievement are available.
